Over terrain that will be relatively familiar, Keith Cronin knows that any advantage he can accrue over Frenchman, Sebastien Chardonnet will be a bonus as they go head to head for the most lucrative prize within the WRC3 feeder category of the World Rally Championship.

Sebastien Loeb wrapped up his ninth consecutive World Rally Championship title in style with victory on home soil in France today.

Trading times with his rivals through the various stages of Rallye de France Alsace, Waterford’s Craig Breen (Ford Fiesta) is just 2.2 seconds behind leader Hayden Paddon (Skoda Fabia) in the S2000 category of the World Rally Championship with series leader, PG Andersson (Proton Satria) over a minute adrift in third.

Sebastian Loeb claimed his ninth Rally of Germany title with victory in Trier today.

Sebastien Loeb continued his dominance of the German Rally as he moved into a commanding lead on today’s second leg to stand on the brink of his ninth victory in this event.

Sebastien Loeb made a potentially decisive move in his quest for a ninth successive World Rally Championship title with a commanding first-day performance in Rallye Deutschland.

Cork’s Matt Griffin is upbeat ahead of this weekend’s fourth round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) at Silverstone.

Entering today’s final six stages of Rally Finland, Waterford’s Craig Breen and his Killarney co-driver Paul Nagle lead the way in the S-WRC category.

At the end of the first leg of Rally Finland, round eight of the World Rally Championship, the Irish crew of Craig Breen/Paul Nagle (Ford Fiesta S2000) hold fourth place in the S-WRC category.

On what was his first rally in over eight months, Wexford’s James Stafford, in his rear wheel drive Darrian T90 GTR, took a well-earned victory in the Kilkenny-based Raven’s Rock Rally.

Yesterday’s, Cavan Rally was marred by tragedy during the first stage of the event near Bailieborough.

Irish motorsport lost a great competitor and friend this week with the passing of Rory Galligan (39), who died after a battle with motor neuron disease.

Remarkably, for the fifth time in recent years, the Carlton Hotel Circuit of Kerry Rally, the third round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, ended in a tie-break.

The second day of the Vodafone Rally de Portugal was one of carnage and chaos after the day’s final loop of stages were cancelled on safety grounds.

Irish driver, Craig Breen (22) is second in the S-WRC registered competitors at Rally Sweden after yesterday’s nine stages.

World Rally S2000 Championship leader Craig Breen (Ford Fiesta S2000) seeks to consolidate his position in Rally Sweden, which gets under way in earnest this morning.

Armagh’s Darren Gass (23) and his Monaghan co-driver, Enda Sherry in their S10 Subaru took a thrilling victory in the Safety Direct Galway International Rally, the opening round of the Irish Tarmac Championship.

WATERFORD’S Craig Breen (Fiesta S2000) made the best possible start to his SWRC title challenge with a category victory in the Monte Carlo Rally that was won by Citroen’s Sebastien Loeb.

EVEN though Sebastien Loeb (Citroen DS3) leads the Monte Carlo Rally by a considerable margin, the world champion is taking nothing for granted given the vagaries of the weather and road conditions.

WITH five out of six fastest stage times, Sebastien Loeb (Citroen DS3) extended his overall lead in the Monte Carlo Rally to a minute and 37.2 seconds as the battle for second between Dani Sordo (MINI WRC) and Petter Solberg (Fiesta WRC) hotted up.

WORLD champion Sebastien Loeb (Citroen DS3) made the perfect start to his Monte Carlo Rally title defence as he ended the first day over a minute ahead of Dani Sordo (Mini WRC).

THE performance of reigning World Rally Academy champion, Craig Breen, will be monitored closely on the Monte Carlo Rally, the opening round of the World Rally Championship that begins today.

IRISH interest in next month’s Monte Carlo Rally, the opening round of the 2012 World Rally Championship, has been severely diluted as Tyrone’s Kris Meeke and his Kerry co-driver, Paul Nagle do not appear on the 89-strong entry list that was announced earlier this week.

DUNLOP National Rally champion, Tim McNulty will receive the Vard Memorial Trophy at the National Rally Championship awards ceremony at the Clayton Hotel, Galway tomorrow night.

UNDER pressure throughout the event, Waterford’s, Craig Breen (Ford Fiesta) and his Welsh co-driver, Gareth Roberts were crowned the FIA WRC Academy Champions after clinching the title with victory in Rally GB, the final round of the series to claim the top prize worth €500,000.

THE Irish crew of Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (MINI WRC) begins today’s second leg of Rally GB, the final round of the World Rally Championship, in fifth place following a solid run through yesterday’s opening three stages.

FORMER five-times Irish Tarmac champion Eugene Donnelly is a dramatic late entry for next week’s Westlodge Hotel Fastnet Rally in Bantry.

BRIDGING a 25-year gap, Midleton’s Daragh O’Riordan (29) became the first Cork driver since Billy Coleman to win the Silver Springs Moran Hotel/Orchard Motorsport Cork “20 International Rally.

TEAMS will tackle six stages in Co Antrim this afternoon in their respective opening legs of the Todds Leap Ulster Rally and the Todds Leap International Rally Northern Ireland, part of the Irish Tarmac Rally and Dulux Trade British Rally championships.

EVEN though he had to replace the power steering pump on three separate occasions, Meath’s, Tim McNulty (Subaru WRC) maintained his unbeaten sequence in the Dunlop National Rally Championship.

Defending champion Sebastien Loeb looks set to win his second event of the current World Rally Championship season as he finished day two at the head of the field in Sardinia.

HAVING set the third fastest time on the second stage of Rally Italy in Sardinia, round five of the World Rally Championship, Irish pair Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle retired their MINI WRC on the following test whilst fourth overall.

THE most anticipated round of the World Rally Championship, the Rally Italy in Sardinia, has enormous Irish interest with the competition debut of the Mini John Cooper Works WRC.

The fifth round of the World Rally Championship in Sardinia will see the return of the Mini brand to the sport they dominated in the 1960s.

WATERFORD’S Craig Breen made a great start to the inaugural WRC Academy series in the Vodafone Rally de Portugal yesterday where he leads Estonian Egonaaur Kaur by 48.4 seconds after seven stages, with Fermanagh’s Alastair Fisher just 0.8 of a second behind in third.

TWO of Ireland’s most talented drivers, Waterford’s, Craig Breen and Fermanagh’s, Alastair Fisher compete in the WRC Academy series that begins this weekend alongside Rally Portugal, the third round of the World Rally championship.

Sebastien Ogier retained his lead after the second leg of the Rally Mexico but only after Citroen team-mate Sebastien Loeb fell foul of the rulebook.

Sebastien Ogier will take a 2.3-second lead into the second day of the Rally Mexico after edging out Citroen team-mate Sebastien Loeb on the first leg.

WITH the dawning of a new era in the World Rally Championship, one question remains pertinent — who can break Sebastien Loeb’s dominance? World champion since 2004, the unflappable French ace bids to continue his amazing WRC record as Rally Sweden begins in earnest today following last night’s super special at the city’s trotting track in Karlstad.

WITH the advent of a new title sponsor, Valvoline, organisers of the National Forest Rally Championship are hoping for a resurgence of the series as it gets underway next month.

FORD’S challenger in the new look World Rally Championship, the Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car, was launched at the Autosport Show at the NEC in Birmingham yesterday.

IN his first full season in Irish rallying’s Group N showroom category, Monaghan’s Shane Maguire has already learned some salutary lessons.

NORWAY’s Petter Solberg and Irish co-driver, Chris Patterson begin today’s second stage of the Neste Oil Rally Finland in first position after setting the fastest time on last evening’s opening stage.

Championship leader Sebastien Loeb has warned he will not be taking anything for granted at the New Zealand Rally this weekend despite completing a hat-trick of wins last time out.